Adventure Log: The Rule of Three

The chapter starts in warm coastal city of Malagra, where Inspector Iago invites the party to his precinct and presents them with rewards including badges that deputize them as Malagran constabulary and other items. The Inspector shares knowledge gained from Dr. Poth’s asylum, indicating that Poth appeared to acquire his mental abilities from some evil intelligence under the sea, and the existance of a cult that worships this intelligence, known as the Cult of the Blue Oyster.

The party meets with Captain Bonnie who describes what she has learned from her travels over the last three years, while researching the nature of her tattoos. She believes that Benfirr the Binder, hundreds of years ago, used magical tattoos to bind creatures which he would somehow have to pass along to another life source. He chose a Golem as this immortal life source, which over years he used to trap many evils, However, at some point after trapping two hags near Zella’s Vineyard, Benfirr died before he could complete the transfer. Bonnie believes she is a descendent of Benfirr and that his tattoos were passed down to her, which is why Loya Jurga was trying to kill her, to release her sisters.

However, by working behind the scenes to trick the party into destroying the Golem under the desert temple, the Cult of the Blue Oyster succeeded in finally breaking the binding spells. Bonnie’s tattoos disappeared, and she fears that the witches (and other evils) are released.

The party has Aldo Novas teleport Peloquin to Peckton to warn the halflings of danger, while the party sails with Bonnie, The Grudge and their cleric Tom in the Sloop Jombi, on a two week trip across the Sea of Stars to reach Hag Hook. Along the way, while sharing stories, Bonnie asks about the map she originally gave to the party, and indicates that she has since learned of a legend that it was the site of a great battle that was interrupted by a strange ship that fell from the sky.

As the party approaches within a day or two of Peckton, a thick fog settles and low winds hamper their journey. When the winds finally pick up in the night, Bonnie is surprised to see lights in the fog. Initially thinking they are off course and close to a city, the party realizes they are surrounded by hundreds of advanced Dominion ships.

As a storm picks up, the Dominion ships signal that they wish to parley, and an image of a woman in a silver mask asks the Spear Carrier to come aboard the fleet flagship: The Farseer. The Sloop Jombi, damaged in the winds, is towed by the Farseer while the party goes aboard. There, they are met with Admiral Skellin and a mysterious woman in purple robes and a silver mask named Lymensa, who refers to herself as a Learned that reports to The Capable.

The Dominion agents inform that party that, since there are evil cults looking to bring about the end of the world, the strongest of which occupy Verma, and since Tyn has been unable to destroy Verma, that the Dominion fleet is poised to occupy Tyn as a vassal state and use the lightning gates to bring in reinforcements, and subsequently destroy the Vermese threat once and for all. However, before the party can complete their discussion, a rogue wave is seen in the distance, destroying the Dominion fleet as it approaches. The Sloop Jombi is seen cutting off the tow lines and steering into the wave as the rest of the fleet is damaged and destroyed. The Farseer is eventually hit and knocked underwater. Pat, Urnycee and Porkins are able to get out on the flying carpet while Clinton transforms into a bird. Radcliffe escapes the sinking ship with his necklace of water breathing, riding a barrel towed by the flying carpet.

The party heads west via the power of the flying carpet before finally finding a lighthouse on a small rocky island. They are taken in by villagers on the island to ride out the storm in a squat stone building. There, a drunken, hairy man appears to shy away from the group. Porkins approaches him and realizes it is Sargeant Goodwin, who did not in fact die in Est Harbour, but managed to escape the party and the Vermese when he came out of his poison induced coma. He escaped to this island of Inish Meer to live out his pathetic life as a drunken fisherman. Pat uses his holy magic to remove his drunkeness and stabilize his alcoholism long enough for Goodwin to admit that he once loved the rogue woman Renda, whose body now hosts the witch Loya Jurga. He has felt a connection to Loya Jurga since then and is tormented by dreams. He knows that Loya Jurga is involved in the storm and wishes to put Renda to rest by destroying her.

Recovering his weapons and his fishing curragh, Goodwin and the party row through the abating storm towards hag hook. When getting close, the curragh is flipped over from below, and in the choas Goodwin is lost. The Golden Shield would drag Pat down if not for the help of summoned creatures which drag him to shore.

On shore, the party is attacked by a sea troll, and the now zombie-like Dominion sailors, that seem to be possed by strange nautilus-like creatures attached to their heads. The party defeats a round of these creatures and hears cackling witches towards mainlaind. Proceeding in that direction, three witches are seen writhing along the rocks. Urnycee attacks one, and it is revealed to be an illusion- in fact the three witches are actually Peloquin, Pappy Shankweed, and Cora Greenapple, attached to the rocks by bent iron bars.

Simultaneously, hidden by an illusion, a giant dragon turtle, with the three witches on its back, attacks the party. Aside from Loya Jurga, with the Coral Crown, the party must battle a green skinned hag on a flying broom, who regularly turns invisible and swipes at opponents while flying past “Meg o the Quag”, a white skinned, white haired, attractive woman with blood pouring from her mouth, who’s skin bursts into flames “Black Nan”.

Along side these threats, more zombie-like nautilus-men approach from the sea, threatening the captives on the rocks.

A pitched battle ensues, during which Pat hits the Coral Crown with the Silver Spear, which sends the crown into the ocean and embeds the spear into rocks (the first time it does not return to Pat). Clinton frees Peloquin and Cora from the rocks, Goodwin arrives and fights the Incutilus creatures alognside Urnycee, Father Pat is trapped in a force cage, Porkins is charmed and uncharmed, and grievously wounds the dragon turtle’s neck, and Radcliffe unleased powerful magic against the creatures and finally steals the Coral Crown via telekenisis. In the aftermath, Renda Jurga is dead, Meg o the Quag escapes, and Black Nan explodes. The Dragon Turtle struggles towards the water, bleeding profusely, and in fact dies just offshore.

Unfortunately, Pappy Shankweed and Urnycee are killed by an Incutilus before the end of the battle.